Education
Gwinnett school board members name high school after county legend
Paul Duke. AJC FILE PHOTO
By Eric Stirgus
June 19, 2017Gwinnett County school board members decided Thursday to name a high school under construction in the Norcross area after Paul Duke, who died in 2009.
The school will specialize in teaching students about science, technology, engineering and math. It will be located at 5850 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. and open in August 2018.
Here are five things to know about Duke.
- "The Father of Peachtree Corners" - Duke, who owned land in western Gwinnett, was given that nickname after developing a plan in the late 1960s where high-tech companies could operate.
- Football star - Duke played center on the Georgia Tech football team under legendary head coach Bobby Dodd, earning All-American status.
- There's a road named after him - a section of Ga. 141 was named the Paul Duke Parkway in 1999.
- He named it - Duke is credited with coming up with the name Peachtree Corners, starting a business with that name in the late 1960s.
- He was a Yankee - Duke played for the New York Yankees. Not the baseball team. The New York Yankees of the All-American Football Conference, which existed from 1946 to 1949.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
